Plymouth Rotary Club helps launch the “Friends of the Pemi”

       The Plymouth Rotary Club recently joined forces with a long list of over forty community partners in a concerted effort to clean up Livermore Falls and the Pemigewasset River. At the collective urging of the New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development (DRED), the NH Fish and Game Department, the towns of Plymouth, Campton and Holderness and their Police Departments, Conservation Commissions and Historical Societies, Plymouth State University and the Holderness School, and many other municipal, academic, business and service organizations, the Plymouth Rotary has taken the lead by launching the “Friends of the Pemi” – Livermore Falls Chapter. The vision of the “Friends of the Pemi” is to protect the environment along the Pemi River corridor while turning Livermore Falls and the surrounding towns’ shoreline areas into safe, attractive destinations for recreational use to be enjoyed by residents and tourists alike.

       Recently, Plymouth State University hosted a kick-off event to bolster community interest in the Friends of the Pemi, and well over 150 community members attended to express their enthusiasm for the project.  Next, in order to keep the level of interest and momentum high, the Plymouth Rotary will host a Friends of the Pemi Clean-Up Day on Saturday morning, August 3^rd and the public is invited to participate. Beginning at 8:00 am, the group will gather and start clean-up at the Campton Beach/Mill area; later at 9:30 am, clean-up of the Livermore Falls/Holderness beach will take place; followed by clean-up of the Holderness Conservation Land and “South Beach” area in Plymouth beginning at 10:30 am. The Friends volunteers will re-convene at noon at the Plymouth Rotary amphitheater on Green Street in Plymouth (next to the Court House) for a wrap-up session.

       The Plymouth Rotary Club is seeking grant funding that will help defray the cost of materials for signage, gravel and grading, a guard house for an attendant, a kiosk, picnic tables and grills for the Livermore Falls area. The Rotary District 7850 just announced that the Plymouth Rotary has been awarded a $4,000 District Grant to begin the project. A grant of this type requires there be matching funds of $4,000 from the community-at-large.  The Holderness Conservation Commission has stepped up to the plate with a lead matching gift of $300; Larry T. Spencer, one of the Holderness Conservation Commissioners said, “The Commission appreciates the role that the Plymouth Rotary Club has taken upon itself to increase the value of the Pemi River to the towns that lie on its river banks.”  Individuals and businesses may also send a tax-deductible contribution by mailing a check made out to the Plymouth Rotary Foundation, with a memo notating that the donation is designated for the Friends of the Pemi project, in care of the Plymouth Rotary, P.O. Box 393, Plymouth, New Hampshire  03264.

       The mission of the Friends of the Pemi is to:  raise awareness about the Pemi River as a natural resource; create a management plan for continued stewardship of the river and surrounding environment; recognize the historical and archeological significance of Livermore Falls; benefit a diverse local population through economic and community development; and showcase Livermore Falls as a family-friendly community asset. The members of the Plymouth Rotary agreed to organize this project because the Club has always had a vested interest in the Pemi River. Several years ago, the Plymouth Rotarians raised funds and offered their manpower to build the Rotary Amphitheatre on Green Street (next to the Plymouth Court House).